Plate-clamp.



PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

J. O. F. BALZB.

' PLATE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 190% 2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

1710676 0 j /w. 76 ,eM rf/wv UNITED STATES J OHN C. F. BALZE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOE, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Patented December 2'7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PLATE-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,214, dated D r 27, 1904.

Application filed August 29,1902. semi No. 121.495.

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. F. BALZE, a citizen of the United States, residing atNew York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Clamps, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. v

This invention relates to certain improvements in clamping devices, and more particularly to that class of clamping devices which are used for securing electrotype or stereotype plates tothe beds on which they are supported during the printing operation,- the clamp; ing device provided by the present invention being one which is adapted for securing such electrotype or stereotype plates not only to the fiat bed of a bed and cylinder press, but also to cylindrical beds or form-cylinders.

The invention has for its object to produce a simple and cheap clamp which can be readily and quickly adjusted in positionand the parts of which are not liable to become loose during the printing operation.

With this and other objects in View the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts,improvements, and combinations, as will be-hereinafter fully described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto. appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a.

perspective View of a cylindrical bed or formcylinder having a series of plates secured in position thereon by a clamp embodying the present invention. flatbed having a series of plates secured in position by such a clamp. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken through the supporting-bed, (which may be the cylinder of Fig. 1 or the fiat bed of Fig. 2,)

Fig. 2 is a plan View of amay be of any desired form, but will prefer- I The bed 1 is.provided. with recesses for the clamps, which recesses ably consist of grooves 2, arrangeddiagonally across the bed. While the Walls of these grooves may bevertical, if desired, they are preferably undercut, as best shown in Figs.-

form of. grooves, as shown, it is possible to 5 and 6. By'constructing the recesses the adjust the clamps readily along the recesses from one position to another without remove ing them from the grooves when the plates 5 sary were the recesses simply holes in thebed.

are changed, which removal might be neces- The plate-clamp of the present invention in -f cludes a retaining-plate 4:, which is arranged to engage the edge of a stereotype or electrotype plate. Preferably the edges of the retaining-plate are beveled, as at 5, so as to take over the similarly-beveled edges of the electrotype or stereotype plate 6. The re: taining-platet is provided with a wedgeshaped depending part or member 7, adapted to enter the recess 2, and on opposite sides thereof with a pair oflaterally-movable wedgeshaped locking members 8, adapted to be moved along said depending partor spreading member 7 and when so moved'to be spread apart by such spreading member 7 into looking engagement with opposite walls of the recess 2, as best shown in Fig. 6. The lockingplate 4: isalso provided with means for supporting and carrying said laterally-movable locking members 8 and also for moving them' along the wedge-shaped spreading member 7, consisting of an, endwise -movable screwthreaded member 9, passing through an opening in the spreading member 7 and provided at its lower end with a head 10, on which the locking members 8 rest, so that as said screwthreaded member 9 is turned in one direction, so as to move endwise from the bottom of the recess 2, its headlO, engaging the under sides of the locking members 8, will move said members'upwardly along the spreading member 7 which will then spread them apart and into locking engagementwith opposite wallsof the l the locking members, substantially as derecess 2 or into the position shown in Fig. 6. The upper end of the threaded member 9 is preferably nicked, as at 11, for the reception of a screw-driver, so that it may be turned to move the locking members 8 upwardly, as just described, or in the opposite direction to release such locking members from engagement with the walls of the recess, as shown in Fig. 5.

The locking members 8 are loosely connected together and with the retaining-plate 4 and held in position for engagement by the head 10 of the threaded member 9 by pins 12 passing through openings 13 in the locking members 8 and also through vertical slots 14: at the lower end of the spreading member 7, these pins being of such length as to provide for the necessary amount of lateral movement of the locking members, so that they may engage the walls of the recess, but headed at their outer ends, so as to prevent the detachment of the locking members from the retaining-plate or their disengagement from the head. 10 of the threaded member 9.

The outer faces of the locking members are inclined, as shown, so as to conform to the undercutting of the walls of the recesses, and are also fiat, so as'to present a broad bearingsurface to the walls of the recess.

It will be observed, as before indicated, that the plate-clamps may be introduced into the reeessesor grooves 2 at any point in the length thereof, so that it is not necessary to introduce the clamps at the ends of the recesses or grooves or to slide them to the ends thereof in order to remove them.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movable locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, a spreading device for moving the locking members laterally, and means for moving the locking members along said spreading device, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movable locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, a spreading device for moving the locking members laterally and means for moving the locking members along said spreading device comprising a screw-tln7eaded member carried by the plate and connected with the locking members, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movable locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, aspreading device for moving the looking memberslaterally and means for moving the locking members along said spreading device comprising an endwise-movable member screw-threaded to the plate and connected with scribed.

at. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movable wedgeshaped locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, and a \\'edge-shaped spreading device between them for so moving the locking members, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movalile wedgeshaped locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, a wedge-shaped spreading device between them for so moving the locking members, and means for moving said locking members along said spreading member, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-platc provided with two laterally-movable wedgeshaped locking members for engaging oppo site walls of the recess, a wedge-shaped spreading device between them for so moving the locking members, and means for moving said locking members along said spreading member comprising a screw-threaded member carried by the plate and connected with the looking members, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a supporting-bed provided with a recess, of a retaining-plate provided with two laterally-movable wedgeshaped locking members for engaging opposite walls of the recess, a wedge-shaped spreading device between them for so moving the locking members, and means for moving said locking members along said spreading member comprising an endwise-lnovable member screw-threaded to the plate and connected with the locking members, substantially as described.

8. A plate-clamp comprising a retainingplate provided with two laterally movable locking members and a spreading device for moving them laterally, and means for moving the locking members along the spreading device comprising a screw-threaded member carried by the plate and connected with the locking members, substantially as descrilmd.

9. A plate-clamp comprising a retainingplate provided with two laterallymovable wedge-shaped locking members and a wedgeshaped spreading device for moving them laterally, substantially as described.

10. A plate-clamp com-prising a retainingplate provided with two laterallyn1ovable wedge-shaped locking members and a wedgeshaped spreading device for moving them laterally, and means for moving the locking members along the spreading device comprising a sum threaded, member carried by the plate and connected with the locking mem-- bers, substantially as described.

11. A plate-clamp comprising a retaining- ITS plate provided with a spreading member 7, and two laterally-movable locking members 8 loosely connected together, substantially as described.

12. A plate-clamp comprising a retainingplate provided with a spreading member 7, two laterally movable locking members 8 loosely connected together, and threaded member 9'oarried by the plate and connected with the locking members, substantially as described.

13. A plate-clamp comprising a retainingplate provided witha spreading member 7,

two laterally-movable locking members 8 loosely connected together by pins 12, and 5 threaded member 9 carried by the plate and connected with the locking members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 20 Witnesses. I

JOHN F. BALZE.

Witnesses:

F. W. H. CRANE,

L. RoEHM. 

